JCPS adds to spectrum of student support programs

Special education teacher Nicole Ball sits in the counseling section of the COMPASS classroom at Cedar Hill Elementary in Jefferson City on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. Ball is one of four professionals working in this classroom -- one counseling teacher and two other staff members.
Special education teacher Nicole Ball sits in the counseling section of the COMPASS classroom at Cedar Hill Elementary in Jefferson City on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. Ball is one of four professionals working in this classroom -- one counseling teacher and two other staff members.

For several years, Jefferson City Public Schools has been building up its supports for special-education students who need more individualized instruction.

The first specialized learning program served the lowest functioning students, and in recent years, any special-education student who needed an intensive small-group learning environment would be enrolled in that program.

Now, the district has three specialized learning programs for students who are better served in the small class sizes with specialized teachers and who need to spend less than 40 percent of their time in the general classroom.

The district still has several classrooms for pre-kindergarten to 21-year-old students who are the lowest functioning students in the district. It also has a specialized learning program for students significantly impacted by autism. The newest program is Compass for special-education students working to improve social, emotional and behavior skills, said Sheila Logan, JCPS special services director.

So far, only three students are in the Compass program hosted at Cedar Hill Elementary. All were referred to the program after being in their home buildings at the start of the school year. The students are on highly individualized education plans with goals specific to their weaknesses.

This year, the district has set a major focus on appropriate school conduct and respectful behavior, but the students could be working on following directions the first time they're asked, keeping their hands and feet to themselves, staying on task, and respectful language and behavior.

All students start in their regular classroom because it is the least restrictive environment where they can be around typically developing students their age. The state sets a continuum that determines what level of support a student needs, and that's dependent on how much time the student needs outside of the regular classroom with a small-group or one-on-one support.

"The goal is when they leave (a specialized program) they can be successful in their home school," Logan said. "Ideally, they won't always need a specialized learning environment. Eventually, we hope they don't need that support."

The majority of special-education students - 80 percent - spend 80 percent of their time in the regular classroom.

Last year, there were 883 special-education students in the kindergarten through 21-year-old age group. The year before that, in 2014-15, there were 912 students.

The number of special-education pre-school students has stayed fairly consistent through the years, Logan said. Last year, there were 137.

Students start in their regular classrooms. But if they need to be away from that classroom for additional support, they can be referred to a program that keeps them in their regular class setting 40-79 percent of the time. If it's determined they need an additional layer of support, then they may be transferred to one of the three specialized learning programs, where they'll spend up to 40 percent of their time in the regular classroom.

The Compass classroom at Cedar Hill has a calming feel to it and looks a little different from regular classrooms.

Miniature yoga ball-like chairs have replaced the regular desk chairs. The simple switch makes a big difference for students who have a hard time sitting still. If they can bounce on the ball while sitting and doing their work, it keeps their legs busy, and they have an easier time concentrating, said Nicole Ball, the special services teacher for the program.

Most of the students have a hard time sitting and writing, Ball said, so a lot of the course work is interactive, and they take frequent breaks throughout the day.

Ball works closely with the students' regular teachers, teaching academic lessons the students would be doing in their home classrooms so they're completing the same assignments as their peers. The program is designed to keep them on pace with their peers while honing in on social, emotional or behavior skills that need additional attention, she said.

"Some kids can't handle being in a room with 20 other kids," Ball said. "They need that one-on-one time. When they're surrounded by other kids, they can't concentrate and they can't focus on their individual work. And maybe they don't get to express themselves."

The goal is to teach students the skills they need to be successful in the regular class setting, and they've already seen immense improvement from some of their students, said at-risk counselor Tiffany Singer.

Instead of focusing on negative behavior and the punishment that follows it, they use an incentive-based system that centers on rewards for positive behavior. Twice a day, the students check in with classroom staff about their behavior, which is described in tiers based on color. The highest level is purple, and they can earn time using the iPad, one of their favorite incentives.

The first few weeks have been successful, Ball said, and she attributes some of that to the relationship they have with the students and program staff.

"One thing I'm really appreciative of is we're all fun nerds and kind of goofy," she said of the four staff members. "When we act goofy, they open up to us more. It's nice to see them really smile."

Ball is the full-time teacher; Singer works as a counselor, and there are two para-professionals. Logan expects more students will be referred to the program throughout the year, but they'll always start out in the least restrictive environments.

Students who don't need the level of support given with one of the specialized programs can also be referred to the transition classrooms available for elementary and middle school students.

Those students are working on the same emotional, social and behavior skills, but that program is open to all students, not just those with individualized education plans, said Tammy Ridgeway, secondary education director. They spend 10 hours a week in the transition classroom in smaller class sizes, and the rest of their time is in their regular classes.

"We want to keep them in the classroom as much as we can, but we also want to address social, emotional skills," she said.

The level of supports has become really comprehensive, and there's something for most students who need additional attention, Logan said.

"I feel like we have a program to be proud of," she said. "Whether it's general education or special education, we have a number of supports available to students. We started the school year with behavior support staff visiting with every staff member in K-8. We wanted to make sure every staff member knew what was available and how to access it. We want to make sure parents understand what's available but also get the word out."